How’s this for your summer reading stack: Wine, a road trip, and sports?
RoadTrip America: A Sports Fan’s Guide To Route 66 by Ron Clements
Back when I lived in Tulsa, part of my daily commute was on Route 66. This is the famous “Mother Road” that stretches from Chicago to Los Angeles. Plenty has been written about Route 66, mostly travel tips and nostalgic locations along the way. Until now, no book has focused on sports on this historic highway.
Author Ron Clements has been a journalist for more than two decades and he and his wife have been living full-time in an RV since 2018, in search of new adventures, attending ballgames and visiting national parks. The book is packed with more than 300 photos as well as insights into outstanding pro, collegiate and high school programs.
One of the interesting stops along the way includes the University of New Mexico’s famed basketball arena, The Pit, in Albuquerque. This was the site of perhaps the greatest college basketball upset, North Carolina State, led by Jim Valvano, defeating the heavily favored University of Houston. In Missouri, Busch Stadium and Enterprise Center (the Blues) are covered, but also the Missouri University of Science and Technology baseball and football teams, the Miners.
The book is graced by countless anecdotes and sites of interest in places such as Granite City (IL) High School, Robert Plaster Stadium (Missouri State), Will Rodgers Stampede Arena (Claremore, OK), Arizona Snowbowl, and Elmer’s Bottle Tree Ranch (Victorville, CA). Each vignette is a gem, giving you a chance to learn about these locations, some well-known and others off the radar. The stories spin a rich fabric of American culture and one-of-a-kind personalities woven together by Route 66.
This is a perfect book for the beach or your vacation. It’s also a great gift idea for your favorite sports fan.
The book will be released August 3 and is $25.95 and available for pre-order in bookstores nationwide and online at Amazon, IndieBound, and Barnes and Noble.
Beyond Grapes: How To Make Wine Out of Anything But Grapes! by Yacor Morad
The other day I was speaking to a long-time friend and he began raving about a wine he tasted. My ears perked up. Was is a French Bordeaux? Perhaps a Barolo from Italy? No, it was a peach wine and he couldn’t wait to savor the sweet delight again.
For fans of fruit wine – and beyond – the perfect book is now available. Yacor Morad is an Israeli winemaker who was first introduced to non-grape wine by sipping pumpkin wine made by his father. Morad and his wife opened Moran Winery in 1999, the first commercial winery in Israel to make wine out of almost anything but grapes. Ten years after retiring from his business, Morad is still discovering new and exciting flavors. Through this book he shares recipes and formulas to make it easier for pros and newcomers alike.
The book begins with a short explanation of the winemaking process and background about non-grape wines. I say non-grape wines because the book covers far more than fruit wines. Readers will learn how to make wine from raspberries, pears, coconut, dates, onions, papaya, apricots, pomegranates, carrots, potatoes, mint, onion, dill, and even parsley (among other things), as well as how to make liqueurs from pineapple, honey, lychee, mango, chocolate, and chamomile.
The processes to make wine and liqueurs are clearly explained. The book then lists the ingredients for a wild spectrum of possible beverages. How About Asian Pear liqueur? Or maybe Zucchini wine?
Morad sparks the creativity of home winemakers by showing the range of what it possible, and providing a roadmap to get there. This is the perfect gift for your aspiring winemaker. Available for $18.99 in paperback on Amazon.
1 comment:
Thank you so much for the kind words.
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